


H. Actually

by ink_inEden



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Best Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jay and Alan Rickman get also mentioned very briefly, Love Actually References, M/M, Misunderstandings, Niall Liam and Zayn are only mentioned, like really bad ones :P
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9874784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_inEden/pseuds/ink_inEden
Summary: “So” Louis drops his spoon into the empty ice cream container. “Why are we sulking?”Harry breaks eye-contact with him and looks at the screen. “The movie is sad?”Or a teenage Larry Stylinson AU where nothing happens apart from first aid for sprained hearts and confusing Love Actually references.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna be honest here with you: I don't hate what and how I wrote here, but I don't really consider it noteworthy.  
> BUT it is the first fanfiction I ever started writing (although not the first one I ever finished), so I still wanted to post it - maybe anybody out there will find some joy in it, anyway :)
> 
> And I wouldn't say it's _necessary_ to have seen the movie Love Actually, but some parts might be hard to understand if you haven't.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: This is pure fiction.

Harry shuts the door behind him with a loud bang. He tosses his jacket into one corner of the hallway and his shoes into another one. He can hear his mother calling from the kitchen, but he doesn't even wait to listen whether she is lecturing him for slamming the door or asking about his well-being.

It wouldn't make any difference anyway.

Instead he hurries up the stairs into his room, ignoring the worried glance his sister is throwing him from her side of the hallway, and shuts the door as equally loud as the first one.

He's so done with this day.

Feeling the tears already burn in his eyes, he carelessly drops his bag on top of his desk, steps out of his uncomfortable school uniform and crawls into his bed - face pressed into his pillow and blanket draped over his head.

Great. If anybody didn't notice that something was up with him as soon as he stepped through the door, they certainly all know now. Only a matter of time 'till somebody will show up to lift his spirits.

Harry groans and draws the blanket further over his head until his feet peak out at the other end. As much as he loves his mom and sister, he really, really does not want to talk to them.

The tears start prickling in his eyes again and this time he doesn't even bother to hold them back, grabbing his stuffed teddy-bear instead and clutching on to it for dear life.

He still remembers the day he got it - when Louis got it.

They had been at the carnival with a group of friends on a cloudy day in the middle of the week. Of course it was mostly empty and most of the rides were closed. So they spend their time strolling between the stands, trying to find the ones that were open.

The stands themselves were mostly boring: cheap nonsense, a few rides and food - which Niall loved of course - and some other stuff Harry couldn’t quite put a finger on. And of course the coconut shy.

It was a shabby little shed decorated with toys, you would only get if you hit a certain number of coconuts with a ball. Harry was not really that excited about the game when the others dragged him along, but as soon as he spotted the huge teddy-bear, he just needed it. He couldn't even tell why he wanted the bear so badly, he just did.

He nearly felt like crying when his ball barely touched the coconuts. His mood dropped even further when the others started mocking him about his childish wish, already getting tired of hanging around at the same spot for so long.

Except for Louis.

One look into Harry’s sad big puppy-eyes and he told the others to shut up while he grabbed the ball himself. Every throw was perfectly aimed and hit the coconuts without mercy.

Harry was possibly beaming when Louis placed the big bear into his arms, ruffling through his hair and telling him in a whisper, mouth pressed to his ear, that he was the most adorable shit ever.

It felt like a secret.

A new wave of self-pity rushes over Harry and he rubs his wet cheeks against the fury toy.

"You’re such a baby", he mumbles to himself, but can't help burying his nose even deeper into the soft fabric. It smells faintly of Louis. His life really likes to laugh into his face.

"Harry?" He can hear his sister asking from the doorstep.

"No", he answers before she can question him any further. She chuckles and comes to sit on his bedside anyway. "Who are you and what have you done to my annoyingly happy baby-brother?"

Harry can't even decide to which tease he should react first - in the end he settles for "m not happy"

"Well, wouldn't have guessed that, would I?” she responds, tone still light and jokingly.

"Go away, Gem"

"Not until you tell me what's making you a moody little twat" He can feel her hand caressing his curls through the blanket and tries to shrug her of.

"I told you to go away!" He can feel the anger bubbling up inside of him.

She doesn't even bother to put her hand away, but instead flings her whole body on top of his. "Oh come on! You know you can tell me everything! Did some girl reject you? Oh no, wait! I know - it was a dude!"

Before Harry can even think about it, he sits up straight and sends her crushing to the ground. "Fuck off!” he yells at her.

Even though the look in her eyes is hurt, her voice is icy. "Fine, be a bitch about it, but don't you dare to come crying to me later!"

She jumps up from the floor and rushes out of his room without a look back. Harry feels even worse. After all it's not Gemma's fault. Actually it's not even Louis' fault.

Harry should have known. Should have prepared for the sting or even prevented it. Instead he had been naïve and oblivious until that kiss hit him like a brick wall.

He's just ready for letting the next monster-sob escape from his mouth, when he hears a light knock on the door.

"Harry-honey, may I come in?” his mum asks gently.

"No", he sulks into his bear.

She hums quietly, not leaving, but other than Gem not invading his personal space. "Lunch is ready, darling"

"M not hungry”

His stomach growls in disapproval. Harry will not eat when his world has just been flipped upside-down and ripped into pieces. And he doesn't care either if he is overdramatic about it.

Anne sighs, but doesn't challenge him on it any further.

"Gemma was pretty upset about your little encounter", although she isn't happy about it, Harry can tell that she isn't even angry with him.

"Sorry", he manages to get out half-heartily.

“Maybe you should say that to her.” She isn’t judging - Harry knows so much - only suggesting a peace over. But right now, he doesn’t want it. He only wants to hug his bear and drown in self-pity. And maybe an achingly sweet-sick love movie and a bowl of ice cream later.

It’s not what he says so, because it would only steer more questions. “Maybe…”

Anne sighs again, but drops the topic nevertheless. “So what’s wrong, sweetie?”

“Nothing”

“Well, you might come down for lunch then…”

Harry pouts into his teddy-bear, still not even having turned around to face his mother. He knows she just cornered him in a mummy-trap.

“I…I just really want to be alone”, he mumbles in a defeated kind of way.

“Ok”, she gives in sympathetically, “just whenever you feel like – you know, you can tell me everything, right?”

“I know, mum”

“Ok, sweetie”

Harry pauses until he can hear her closing the door softly, then he occupies his fury tissue once again.

He doesn’t know how long he keeps hiccupping and sniffling into the teddy bear – maybe minutes, maybe hours – but the next time his door opens, it does so with a loud bang.

Harry spins around in fury. “Gem, I told you to fu-“

The words get stuck in his throat midsentence. It’s not Gemma.

“Vas happenin’?” Louis shouts cheerfully – a nasty habit he has picked up from Zayn – and enters the room without any permission.

Immediately Harry turns his back to the door, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to be as invisible as possible. Needless to say that his efforts aren’t working.

“Hazza?” Louis asks a lot gentler and dumps his bag on the floor with a soft knock, before he closes the distance between the door and the bed. Harry stays silent. He is still clutching his teddy bear stubbornly, hoping Louis might just disappear if he pretends he isn’t there.

The mattress dips to one side when Louis kneels next to him. “I can’t believe this bear still makes you feel better – I’m touched.” Louis muses and tugs on one of its fuzzy ears.

“You remember that?” Harry is so surprised that he forgets his momentary misery and turns around to face Louis.

“Yeah” Louis seizes the opportunity to snatch the plushie out of his arms into his own. “You named it _Boo Bear_ after all!”

Harry smiles to himself, thinking about the time Louis first learned it – He literally sulked the whole day and insisted Harry had only picked the name to make fun of him.

“Little tribute to Jay”

“Don't encourage my family to embarrass me, Harold”

“Don’t act like you don’t like it, Boo Bear”

Louis huffs out a laugh and places the teddy back into his arms. “Busted!”

Harry stifles his laughter into the furry animal.

When he looks up again, Louis is watching him with a fond expression on his face. It kind of makes Harry feel a bit unsettled. He shuffles around awkwardly, trying to look busy by putting away the bear even though he just wants to escape Louis’s gaze.

Louis looks a bit unsure himself, intently inspecting his own hands, before he decides to poke his index finger into one of Harry’s dimples. “I don’t like it when you are sad. Your smiley-face is so cute.”

Harry’s expression immediately turns several shades darker again in the course of a split-second. Louis sighs. “I jinxed it, didn’t I?”

He looks thoughtful for a moment, but then he snaps excitedly with his fingers and hops up and down on the duvet. “I know!”

He jumps up from the bed and makes a beeline for the door. Harry looks after him, his stomach flip-flopping between nauseating and excited. Why is Louis here, running around without a care in the world? Wasn’t he busy just a few hours ago? Harry is confused – more than ever.

But Louis doesn’t keep him in suspense for long, coming back with two spoons and a family container of ice cream in one hand and a movie in the other one. He throws a winning smile Harry’s way – as well as the food supplies – and grabs Harry’s laptop to start the movie. Harry should probably worry that Louis types in the correct password without hesitation.

The menu for Love Actually pops up on the screen. He can’t help but hug Louis in thanks once he snuggles under the blanket with him. Louis knows him too well.

Louis gives him a soft smile and buries his nose into Harry’s curls. “Dream-team, remember?”

His whisper is barely loud enough to be heard over the opening credits. Harry stiffens slightly, but forces himself to relax and nod. Louis leans away and Harry is sure he noticed, but Louis pretends to just reach for the ice cream in Harry’s lap.

Even though he brought two spoons, Louis force-feeds him with his own throughout the whole movie, until Harry’s stomach is hurting. He also got ice cream smeared in his hair and all over his cheeks, giggling like a lunatic while trying to get back at Louis.

“Stop it! Stop!!!” He screeches, squirming around in hopes of escaping another spoonful. It ends up in his hair again, cold and soggy, because the ice cream is basically just goo at this point. His mum will probably chide them, when she sees all the ice cream stains.

He stabs his own spoon into the plastic container and flings it at Louis’ shirt. Louis shrieks and grasps his chest like Harry just wounded him deeply. – And barely manages to save the laptop from falling off the bed. “Okay, TRUCE! Truce, Harry!”

“Thank god!” Relieved, Harry drops his spoon into the ice container and rakes his fingers through his hair. Louis pushes the laptop back into place between them and gives him a crinkly-eyed smile. “You know, you’ve got some…”

Quickly, he swipes his spoon over Harry’s cheek and licks it clean with a smug expression on his face. Harry rolls his eyes and tries to wipe away the remaining ice-cream-sauce with his sleeve. “Gross.”

Louis just shrugs and drapes his arm around him, before he turns his attention back to the last thirty minutes of the movie. Harry gives him a fond look and snuggles deeper into his side, doing the same.

While they watch the different stories unfold in peace, he keeps glancing at his best friend. Louis seems to be in deep thought, absentmindedly licking his spoon, but not really following the movie. Admittedly, they both have seen it several times, most of them together. Still. Harry keeps poking him in the side.

When the end credits roll around Harry is a bit misty-eyed and quietly snuffles into Louis’ jumper. Louis gives him a knowing smile and grabs him a little tighter, eyes also a bit glassy. Harry feels content. He gives Louis a wide smile, but gets a pretty weak one in return.

“So” Louis drops his spoon into the empty ice cream container. “Why are we sulking?”

Harry breaks eye-contact with him and looks at the screen. “The movie is sad?” He tries to play oblivious, fully aware that that’s not what Louis meant.

“Harry…” Louis gently closes the lid and places the laptop aside. Harry can’t stand the soft look in his eyes right now. It’s very close to pity.

“But it is!” Stubbornly, he jumps into an upright position, effectively freeing himself from Louis embrace. “Think about Karen: She is just trying to do the right thing and looks for some validation, whereas her husband would just give up everything they build over the years, to boost his ego!”

Louis looks at him affronted. “That’s Alan Rickman, you are talking about here!”

Harry rolls his eyes, but lets it slide. “Not my point, but okay, well…look at Mark – he is forever friend-zoned!”

It’s Louis turn to roll his eyes now. “Why do you have to pick _Mark_ , his storyline is almost as dump as Colin!”

“It’s not!” Harry returns hotly, his hands balling into fists. “He is in love with his best friend and she just steals him away!”

“Woah! Wait a minute!” Louis raises his hands, starting to get irritated as well. “What are you talking about? That’s not even how the storyline goes.”

Harry freezes. Oh, right.

He slouches his shoulders and crawls back under his duvet. He doesn’t even know where that outburst came from. He _knows_ how the storyline goes. _All_ of them.

“Well, it would make more sense that way. They know each other properly after all.” He finally mumbles.

“So you _do_ admit that that love-triangle is ridiculous.” Louis croons in victory. “Mark’s love is based on non-existing interactions with Juliet – how am I supposed to relate to that?”

“Whatever.” Harry sulks in defeat and turns towards the wall, coming face to face with Boo Bear. Louis and Harry always clash when it comes to the most genuine storyline in that movie. Probably because they both change their opinion each time they watch it. “Which relationship do _you_ prefer then?”

“Billy and Joe, obviously. Billy may be full of shit at times, but Joe always sees through him and has his back. And Billy knows that despite all, Joe is the person that truly matters in his life.”

Harry snorts. “Billy is a selfish knob.” He tells his teddy bear.

Louis goes quiet.

Abruptly, he grabs Harry’s shoulder and spins him around almost harshly until he is hovering over him. His lips are pressed into a tight line. He looks murderous. – But also very, very hurt.

“I’m not even talking about the movie!” He angrily spits into Harry’s face. Immediately, Harry pushes him away and sits up.

“Well, neither am I!” He yells back.

Momentarily, Louis seems at a loss for words. The anger has disappeared as fast as it came; he just looks confused, kneeling over Harry’s legs and starring into his eyes like he is searching for something. Harry stubbornly juts his chin out, not breaking eye contact.

“This is bullshit.” Louis finally sighs and buries his face in his hands. “What are we talking about then?”

“You tell me.” Harry replies, still a little prickly.

Louis rolls his eyes and looks up again. “I was talking about _us_ , you idiot. I’m Billy and you are Joe.”

“Oh.” Harry gulps and hangs his head in shame. “I didn’t mean to call you a selfish knob.”

Louis chuckles and buries his fingers into his hair like he does when he’s especially tactile or trying to sooth Harry. “It’s fine, I shouldn’t have snapped like that. We both are terrible at reading between the lines, apparently.”

He scratches lightly at Harry’s scalp, probably massaging the drying ice cream in, and hums a soft tune. Harry presses his forehead against Louis’, eyes slowly fluttering closed.

“Wait!”

Harry jumps and nearly butts heads with Louis in the process. “Hm?”

Louis’s eyes sparkle like they always do, when the wheels in his head are running wild. “Who is Alan Rickman, then? Or no, Mia, I guess?” He scrunches his nose in confusion. “Juliet?!”

“Oh.” Harry feels his cheeks heat up, but this time he can’t hide, because his head is still locked in between Louis’ hands. “I…Why didn’t you tell me you fancied Helen?” He quickly rushes out, answering the question with a counter-question. Timidly, he bites his lips, before he adds in a small whisper: “I thought you’d trust me with everything.”

“What?” Louis drops his hands and shakes his head, confusion even more plainly written across his face. “I don’t and I do, Haz. Why is that even a question?”

It stings. Up until that moment Harry never considered that Louis might straight up lie to him. About _this_ of all things.

It’s even worse than the realization that HarryandLouis might not be glued together forever. That there might be space added between their names, filled with other letters, until they eventually won’t stick anymore, already glued to a different name.

Because this, _this_ means Louis _wants_ the space and is peeling the glue of as fast as he can.

“Harry?” Louis asks gentle and concerned, catching the tears that are gathering in Harry’s eyes with his fingers.

“You don’t need to lie to me.” He sniffles, furiously wiping his cheeks to stop Louis from doing it. “I saw you, you know. When you...well, kissed.”

He pauses, already dreading the next words.

“It’s okay.” He finally adds in a small voice.

“It’s obviously not okay!” Louis responds, probably more vehemently than he intended to. He pushes Harry’s hands away and stubbornly starts to dry his cheeks for him. “I would never ever willingly do something that truly upsets you. And I don’t care about kissing some girl – not when”

He sucks in a sharp breath and bites his lips. Harry curiously musters his rosy cheeks. “Yeah?”

It’s not often that he sees Louis flustered.

There seems to be a storm raging on behind his blue eyes, but just when Harry thinks he isn’t going to answer anymore, Louis draws in a shaky breath and hastily pushes out: “Iwanttokissyou.”

Harry blinks. Opens his mouth. Closes it. Blinks Again. Did Louis just say what he thinks he said?

Louis bites his lips self-consciously, not daring to break eye-contact for all of two seconds before he drops onto his back and buries his face in his hands. “Oh my god!”

Finally, Harry snaps out of his daze. Helplessly, he tucks at Louis’ arms in an attempt to get him back up. “Lou?”

Louis just ignores him. “Please kill me.” He mumbles into his hands, before he peeks out from behind his fingers. “Did I just become Mark?” He asks worriedly.

Harry chuckles at that. “No! I’m Mark.” He replies self-depreciating, nervously fiddling with his thumbs. “Or, I don’t know. I thought so, at least, after today.”

Slowly, Louis lets his hands slip off of his face and sits up again with a serious expression on his face. “Nothing happened, Harry. We both lost a bet against Liam. You know how he gets, when he wins.” He grabs Harry’s hand and squeezes them reassuringly. “I honestly forgot about that kiss as soon as you didn’t show up for lunch break.”

He stills for a second. “I mean…”

Harry holds his breath.

“Unless of course, you find me repulsive – then I’m totally gonna pull a David on her.”

Harry breathes out in relief and giggles. “You mean, you’re gonna run around in Helen’s neighbourhood and sing Christmas Carols until you can woo her in a very awkward way?”

Louis grins. “No, I’m gonna become prime minister and ask her if she wants to be the one who makes sure that I never run out of cookies.”

Harry throws his head back laughing and lets go of his hands, just to wrap his arms around Louis’ neck. He buries his face there, too, and Louis pats him on the back, happy that they are fine but still a bit unsure of what to do.

“I want to kiss you, too.” Harry quietly confesses into his skin. Immediately, Louis halts in his movements.

“Yeah?” Gently, he pries Harry away from his neck to look him in the eyes. Harry bites his lips and nods, a grin already spreading on his face.

Relieved, Louis hugs him once more. “Oh, thank god! I was pissing myself, back there.”

Harry scrunches his nose. “Ugh, please no.”

Louis chuckles and squeezes him tighter. Harry rests his chin on his shoulder and hugs him back.

“I don’t want to complain – this is really sweet, you know – but in the movies this would normally be the moment where we, you know, kiss.”

Grinning mischievously, Louis draws back and holds him at arm-length. “You wanna do it like in the movies? Wanna be swept of your feet?”

Playing along, Harry beams and nods. Louis flops him onto his back and hovers over him.

“With fireworks and all?” He whispers with a soft smile and brushes a curl away from his eye.

“Ye-” Suddenly, Louis’ lips are on his, cushioning the rest of the word between them.

Harry can’t say he minds.

He sighs happily into the kiss and tilts his head a little, eagerly kissing back. Louis softly holds him in place, guiding his face this way and that way and slips his free hand into Harry’s, linking their fingers.

It’s everything.

Summer nights and Butterflies and Fireworks and the crowd clapping and – They both draw back at the same time, staring at each other in confusion.

“Damn, that took long.” Gemma declares from the doorstep, slapping her hands together obnoxiously loud and overall looking very, very smug. Anne winks at them from behind her back and turns around to leave.

Harry closes his eyes in defeat and whines, while Louis rolls off of him and bites his shoulder in an attempt to muffle his laughter.

Okay. _Maybe_ he deserved that.

 


End file.
